Artificial comb-foundation.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY VOGELER, OF NEWCASTLE, CALIFORNIA.

ARTIFICIAL COMB-FOUNDATION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 647,711, dated April 1 '7, 1900.

Application filed November 20, 1899. Serial No. 737,722. No model-l T0 ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY VOGELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newcastle, in the county of Placer, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Artificial Comb-Foundations for Beehives, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in providing a comb foundation the rims or outer edges of whose cells are much thicker than the walls thereof, as and for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of an artificial comb-foundation embodying my invention along with the construction usual heretofore. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of such comb-foundation.

Iform the comb-foundation or series of cells A with very thin wallstl1at is to say, with walls which are as thin as experience has shown to be practicableand I provide the same with thickened rims or outer edges a, as shown. The said rims may be produced by laying on melted wax with a brush. This construction sec ures two important advantagesnamely, it greatly strengthens the foundation and renders it more rigid, so as to better resist injury in shipment and attachment to comb-frames, and it provides surplus Wax for use of the bees in lengthening the cells to approximate or equal natural cells in depth. Suchlengthening is effected by the bees drawing out and thinning the bead-like rims a until they are reduced to the same thickness as the adjacent interior portions of the cellwalls. Experiments have shown that bees require as long a time to make one pound of comb as to make ten pounds of honey, and this provision of surplus wax at the points most available for use by the bees is' therefore of great importance, since it adds to the time available for gathering honey.

I prefer that the thickness of the beads or rims a shall be gradually reduced from the top of the foundation, where the greatest strength is required, downward to the bottom or lower end, where the cells I) are shown constructed in the usual way or without thickened rims.

What I claim is- As an improved article of manufacture, the artificial comb-foundation having its cells constructed with thick beads extending around and constituting their rims or edges, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY VOGELER. 

